‘Speeding’ driver killed cyclist

A cyclist was killed after an on-coming speeding motorist lost control on a bend and ploughed into him, a court heard.

Such was the impact of the collision on a country road over the M6 near Leyland that part of victim Daniel Richmond bicycle was sent hurtling over the bridge onto the motorway below.

In the dock at Liverpool Crown Court is 38-year-old Andrew Irish, of Andertons Mill, Mawdesley, who denies causing death by dangerous driving. The jury heard that Irish admits causing death by careless driving but that plea is not accepted by the Crown.

Charles Lander, prosecuting, said that the incident happened just after 9.10 am on Sunday, April 13 last year on Runshaw Lane, Euxton.

Mr Richmond, 35, and his friend Matthew Abbott had set off from Mr Richmond’s home in Whittle-le-Woods 25 minutes earlier for a cycling trip to Southport on a route they had ridden before.

They were in single file on their own side of the road and just approaching a right hand bend when Irish came from the opposite direction on their side of the road and collided with Mr Richmond, court heard.

Mr Abbott, who had been in front heard the sound of Irish’s black Audi S3 Quattro and hearing screeching thought the car was not going to make the bend without crossing the white line. He saw it going past him and then heard “an almighty crash”.

“He got off his bike and saw his stricken friend who was lying up against the bridge fence,” said Mr Lander.

Despite the efforts of motorists, who included a retired midwife and dentist, as well as ambulance staff, Mr Richmond was pronounced dead at 9.40 am. A police expert calculated that Irish was traveling at at least 53 mph or possibly faster when he began to leave tyre marks and that the safe speed for negotiating the bend was no faster than 30 mph.

Irish stopped immediately after the collision and rang the ambulance services and told them he had “skidded on the corner and hit a cyclist coming the other way.”